One Love, One Lifetime
by Laurelizaabeth
Summary: The Audrey II has been destroyed, and Audrey and Seymour are ready to leave their pasts behind them. Seymour goes about planning his new life with Audrey, with a few suprises in mind.
1. Chapter 1

**One Love, One Lifetime**

_Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime._

_Say the word and I will follow you..._

All I Ask of You, _The Phantom of the Opera_

* * *

><p>In only two weeks, the chaos surrounding the temporarily successful flower shop on Skid Row had begun to die down. Life on Skid Row seemed to be gradually returning to its old rhythm that would only be interrupted by the occasional reporter or tourist who came to photograph the remains of the Audrey II. The articles telling of the 'tragic misfortune' that had fallen upon the flower shop that had brought Skid Row its temporary fame, which before could be seen in nearly every newspaper across the nation, were now few and far between, dotting only the occasional paper in local areas.<p>

For most, Skid Row's return to its familiar pattern was an unwelcome disappointment, but across the street from the pile of charred rubble that was once Mushnik and Son's Skid Row Florists, Audrey Fulquard looked out the window of her tiny apartment and felt nothing but relief. Just those past two weeks alone had held more terror for Audrey than any other. Though her mind was, due to past experiences, usually able to suppress painful memories well, Audrey still found herself thinking about the- the _thing _far too often. The events that had taken place in the flower shop haunted not only her dreams, but seemed to follow her everywhere she went. In her head, she could hear the low, demanding voice of the monster, still felt the unforgiving vines snaking around her torso, threatening to snap her in two.

_Come join your dentist friend and Mushnik._

She shuddered and let the curtains fall from her hands, covering the undesirable view. Turning her back on the window, Audrey started when she caught sight of Seymour standing in the doorway, watching her with a stricken expression on his face. Seymour knew exactly what she had been thinking about, recognized the look in her eyes, and knew the very thing that had caused her to look so fearful. And it was all his fault. Seeing Audrey so shaken up, Seymour would have, in that moment, done anything to change what had happened, or at the very least, make Audrey forget everything, so that he'd never have to see that look in her eyes again.

"Audrey, I-" The words were caught in his throat, not able to make their way past the lump that had formed there. He dropped his head in his hands, completely overcome with self-loathing.

Audrey, hurrying across the room, wrapped her arms around his waist and shook her head. "I don't blame you, Seymour," she told him gently, "not for a single second." And it was true. She didn't blame him for a thing. Audrey was grateful, if nothing else. Seymour had saved her in more ways than one. Not only had he saved her from the confines of that hideous monster that would have taken her life had it not been for him, Seymour had saved her from the painful, lonely existence that had become her life. Simply by taking her hands in his and saying "I love you," Seymour had opened every locked door and closed window, filling Audrey's life with a happiness and hope that she had never thought she would possess. If only Seymour could see the turn Audrey's life had taken since he had entered it, then maybe he would realize that Audrey had nothing to forgive, because she held nothing against him. She loved him unconditionally. She just had to make him see that.

"But-" Seymour began. Audrey firmly held two fingers to his lips.

Leaning back to look into his eyes, she said, "Seymour, if it hadn't been for everything that's happened- no matta' how bad it all was- we'd still be workin' in that flowa' shop for no pay; I'd still be with Orin-" she winced slightly when she said the name- "terrified of him every second; and, Seymour," she said, more gently, tears coming to her eyes, "I never woulda gotten you. I wouldn't change a thing, as long as it means I get to keep you." She brought her lips to his cheek, lingering there for a few seconds.

Seymour slid his eyes shut and allowed Audrey to comfort him. She always knew exactly what to say. Seymour knew the recent events would lie heavily on his heart for, well, probably forever. He had done things he would never be proud of, but he also knew that had no way of changing what had happened. The only thing that slightly eased the burden was the thought that perhaps he could atone for his mistakes, since he could not erase them altogether. Seymour planned on making his chance at a new life worthwhile, full of good choices and happiness. He realized he could now give Audrey the life she'd always wanted, right down to the tract house in the suburbs, and that was exactly what he planned to do.

With these thoughts on his mind, Seymour brought his eyes to Audrey's and smiled. Audrey, letting her arms wrap loosely around his neck, slowly brought her lips forward to meet his for the softest, briefest of kisses. Pulling away, Audrey looked up at Seymour through her lashes, a serene smile on her face. Seymour's pulse quickened; she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He was pulling her in for another kiss when there was a sharp rap on the door. Seymour sighed heavily, frustrated that the visitor had chosen to knock at such an inopportune moment.

Audrey giggled and gave Seymour a light peck. "I'll go see who it is," she told him. Disentangling herself from Seymour's embrace, she quickly slipped her heels onto her feet and made her way to the front door. Looking through the peep hole, Audrey saw a man standing on her doorstep. He looked oddly familiar, but Audrey couldn't put a name to his face. He was standing confidently, an eager expression on his freshly shaven face. He adjusted his fedora and arranged his features into a winning smile. Audrey's first thought was that he was a salesman, but when her eyes flickered to the pen in his jacket pocket and the notepad in his hand, she let out a quiet groan. Seymour popped his head around the entryway, looking curious. Audrey quickly waved him away. "Go into the bedroom or somethin', Seymour," she told him quietly. "It's another one."

Seymour rolled his eyes. "I thought they'd be done with that by now," he grumbled, fully irritated that his time with Audrey had been interrupted by _another_ reporter. They had come around here after the incident, asking all kind of questions, but it had died down for the last few days, and Seymour had thought that everyone had finally lost interest. Apparently, he had been wrong. He skulked into Audrey's bedroom, firmly shutting the door behind him. Looked like the only thing left to do was wait it out…

* * *

><p>After making sure Seymour was out of sight, Audrey opened her door to the reporter. "Afternoon, Miss- Fulquard, isn't it? Audrey Fulquard?" When Audrey nodded he gave her that winning smile and began talking in the smooth, sly voice that all reporters seemed to possess. "Name's Shelton- Matthew Shelton." Oh! Audrey's face lit up with recognition. Shelton- that was the man who had taken Seymour's picture for the paper nearly two months ago, when people were first hearing about the plant. "I'm with the Skid Row Herald Examiner and wanted to ask you a few questions concerning the plant- the Audrey II- and about the recent incident at the shop. You did work there, is that correct?"<p>

Audrey put on her poker face. She could handle these questions; they were easy. Maybe if she answered them quickly, he'd leave her alone. "Yes," she said politely, "for about four years."

Shelton pulled out his pen and quickly began taking notes, nodding as he did so. "Uh-huh, uh-huh. Now then, people have been wondering- since the destruction of the shop, Seymour Krelborn is nowhere to be found. Have you heard anything from him- anything at all? His whereabouts or anything of the sort?"

Audrey's mind momentarily spun in circles. This was the question she hated to answer. "No," she told him, putting a worried expression on her face, "I haven't seen him since the shop was destroyed. He seemed so heartbroken that night. I mean, he'd grown up in that shop. And seeing it all torn apart right in front of him… it hurt him, y'know?" Shelton's hand was moving at an alarming rate, writing down the information, his head bobbing furiously. "But I haven't seen him or talked to him since that night, about two weeks ago." Her voice broke at the end of the sentence. She internally cursed herself, praying that the reporter would simply pass it off as worry about Seymour's whereabouts. She crossed her fingers behind her back, silently hoping that the man wouldn't see through her façade.

Shelton stopped writing, sensing an underlying story in Audrey's voice. He had had suspicions about the entire situation, and her shaky voice had all but proved them to be true. "Are you saying, then, that the man you've known and worked with for four years has made no contact with you after such a tragic event?"

"That's right," Audrey squeaked. Her forehead was beginning to feel clammy.

Shelton shook his head, irritation briefly flickering across his face. Then the winning smile was back, but Audrey thought it looked much more menacing than before. "You see, Miss Fulquard, some things just don't seem to add up here. Something is going on. And I'm going to find out. Seymour Krelborn can't have just disappeared off the face of the earth. People are searching everywhere for this man and to no avail. If you know anything at all, Miss Fulquard, it'd be in your best interest to tell me."

Audrey shook her head rapidly. "I don't know anything," she told him, her green eyes wide and honest. "But please, if ya find out anything at all about him… Please let me know. I've just been so worried…" Audrey's eyes began to fill with tears from the stress of the situation, but she was thankful for them; they made her look that much more believable.

Shelton's eyes narrowed, searching Audrey's face. "I will, miss," he told her slowly as he placed his pen back in his jacket pocket. "But if _you _find out anything at all, I expect you to return the favor. You have a good day." He slyly tipped his hat before walking down the steps, turning back to scrutinize Audrey once more. Audrey promptly slammed the door, her tears spilling over. In truth, she knew she didn't have a legitimate reason to be crying, but all the stress and fear of the past two months came crashing down on her in that single instant, and she just couldn't stop it.

Hearing the door slam, Seymour rushed out of the room to where Audrey was standing with her head pressed against the door. She was crying, to Seymour's chagrin. He quickly gathered her in his arms. "What happened, Audrey?" he demanded. "What did that reporter say to you?" Anger coursed through him at the thought of anyone making Audrey cry. She looked absolutely helpless.

Hiccupping, Audrey buried her head in the curve of his shoulder. "He just- he thinks somethin's goin' on and he kept askin' me questions about where you were. And I said I didn't know, but I think he knows that I know. And-" she began sobbing again, not able to make the tears stop. She knew that she was worrying Seymour, but the tears kept coming and the sobs were tearing through her body, unable to be silenced.

"That's it. I'm- I'm gonna go after him," Seymour said, releasing Audrey. "I don't know what else he said to you Audrey, but I won't stand for it."

Her eyes widening, Audrey quickly grabbed for his arm, terrified at the thought of a scene. Seymour could easily get hurt. "No, Seymour! No, it's all right. Honest. It wasn't just the reporter. I just-" she took a deep breath, "I just got a little stressed out, and everything just kinda hit me all at once. I'll be okay," she told him, smiling weakly. "Besides, I'm not supposed to know where you are. Rememba?"

From a practical standpoint, Seymour knew that she was right. If he went after the reporter, it would only cause more trouble. His whereabouts would be discovered, and reporters would be camping out on Audrey's doorstep at all hours, trying to get more information. All hopes of spending a quiet life together would be completely ruined.

After the incident, Seymour and Audrey were careful to plan out their entire story in order to make it believable. _An electrical failure caused the shop to catch fire, frying the Audrey II and destroying the building. Seymour, since he lived in the shop, had obviously witnessed the event, and Audrey, seeing the flames from her apartment window, had run over to help. Seymour, devastated by seeing the shop ruined, skipped town and hadn't had contact with anyone since. _Rather far from the truth, but that's what Audrey had told all of the reporters that had come around asking questions. In reality, Seymour had been living with Audrey from the past two weeks. He had convinced Audrey that it would be best if he disappeared for awhile, until all the hype died down. The last thing he needed was a flock of reporters following him around. He wanted a simple, quiet life for himself and Audrey, and he didn't want his past following him where ever he went.

So he did his best to suppress his anger for the time being and settled for pulling Audrey back into his arms. Wiping the tears from her face, Seymour held her close to him. "I'm sorry, Audrey. This won't last much longer. I promise you that."

"I know, Seymour. I just don't see how…" She buried her face in his chest, sniffling only a little now.

Seymour softly kissed the top of her head. "Just leave it to me." He had promised Audrey that she wouldn't have to deal with any more reporters, that she would have a quiet life like she had always wanted. And he intended to make good on that promise.

* * *

><p>That night when they had both gotten in bed, Audrey snuggled up close to Seymour, kissing his cheek. Her crying jag had really worn her out, and she was dead tired, even though it was hardly past ten. She could already feel herself slipping into sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. "Goodnight, Seymour."<p>

"'Night, Audrey," he said, holding her close. "Hey, Audrey?" he asked, gently nudging her.

"Hmmmm?" she said, her eyes still closed.

"I was just thinkin' that maybe tomorrow we could just go for a drive, y'know, to get outta here for awhile. It'll do you some good," he told her, subconsciously holding his breath. She had to say yes…

Audrey opened her eyes and smiled. "I think that's a great idea," she told him, and Seymour smiled, relived. Audrey's mouth opened in a yawn and Seymour chuckled. "G'night, Seymour. I love you."

"I love you too, Audrey," Seymour said, pulling her closer to him. Not tired in the least, Seymour was content to hold her in his arms while his mind raced with possibilities about what tomorrow would hold.


	2. Chapter 2

_It was the smell that hit him first. It was familiar, unpleasant, musty. Seymour rubbed his eyes, unable to see. _My glasses,_ he thought. Reaching next to him, he slid on the thick lenses, blinking at the sudden clarity of vision. After his eyes were able to adjust to the dim light, Seymour found himself in his old bedroom, in the back of Mushnik's. His bed was just as uncomfortable as he remembered, and he stood up, unable to handle the stiffness in his muscles. _

_The eerie silence was suddenly broken by an echo, making its way faintly down the stairs. Laughter. Seymour instantly recoiled from the sound. He knew that laugh. Every part of his body screamed to stay put, but Seymour's feet began to move forward without his permission, pulling him closer to the thing he thought he'd never have to see again. He tried to fight it, but his feet persistently dragged him toward the stairs. _Stop! _he thought to himself as his foot landed on the first step. But still, his feet carried him up the stairs at a slow pace, almost taunting him._

_Then, halfway up the stairs, Seymour heard the faint babble of voices, all talking at once, the different pitches and tones overlapping one another, creating one giant murmur. Breaking into a run, Seymour bounded up the remaining steps, stopping suddenly in the room of the flower shop. The first thing Seymour noticed was the reporters. They were everywhere- snapping photos, writing notes, asking questions, all of them flocked together, gathered around something Seymour could not see, but knew exactly what it was._

_The laugh sounded again, followed by a single, deep voice, rising above all the others. "That's him." Seymour's knees nearly buckled beneath him from simply the voice alone. It was still demanding, sinister, and chilled him to the bone. Simultaneously, every reporter turned his or her head in Seymour's direction, making a pathway so that Seymour was face-to-face with the Audrey II. "Miss us, Seymour?" the monster asked tauntingly. With its massive vines, the Audrey II gestured to each side of itself, and Seymour noticed that the two men standing on either side of the plant were not reporters. Orin and Mr. Mushnik were standing there in the shop, alive and whole, watching Seymour with contempt._

"_Seymour, ol' boy, how nice of you to join us," Mushnik said, stepping forward._

"_You thought you'd get rid of us that easy?" Orin asked, and he and the Audrey II began laughing, Orin's maniacal laughter and the plant's deep, resounding chortle overlapped one another, ingraining themselves in Seymour's memory._

_Preparing to make a break for the stairs, Seymour spun around, wanting only to get far, far away, but the Audrey II whipped out one of its vines, tripping Seymour and causing him to fall to the ground, utterly helpless._

"_There's the monster you're lookin' for," the Audrey II announced to the reporters, "Responsible for murdering two innocent men." The reporters' voices raised suddenly in a chorus of shouts. Never mind that there was a giant, man-eating plant in front of them. No, Seymour was the monster. The plant's vines lashed at Seymour once more._

"_How could you do this to me, Seymour, when I was like a father to you? I gave you bread and water, a bed. And how do you repay me-" Mushnik demanded._

"_I- I never meant to do it!" Seymour cried. He moved to put head in his hands, only to find his arms were gone, a pair of menacing green vines, covered in thorns, in their place. Seymour heard a high-pitched scream from across the shop, and he looked up to find Audrey in the doorway, a horrified expression on her face. "Audrey!" He tried to reach out to her, but she recoiled from the thick vines._

"_You're- you're a monster, Seymour," she squeaked, backing away toward the Audrey II, away from him._

I'm a monster_, Seymour thought to himself._ _I'm a monster, I'm a monster, I'm a monster. The Audrey II began to laugh once more, joined by Orin and Mushnik and the reporters. Only Audrey, her face stricken and terrified, remained silent and cowering from him. I'm a monster, I'm a monster, I'm a monster…_

Seymour shot upright in bed, a cold sweat breaking out across his forehead. Immediately, he turned on his lamp and held his hands in front of his face, turning them over and over again, inspecting them. They were shaking terribly, but they were his hands. Still, the nightmare couldn't be shaken. He could still hear the laughter in his head, echoing, menacing…

But it was more than that, Seymour realized. It was the- the _truth_ of the dream that really terrified him. The realization shook him to the core. He was a monster. A monster who had fed bodies to a blood-thirsty plant. A murderer. And it didn't matter what he did; nothing would change that, and nothing would make up for it. Audrey's face in the dream… Seymour shook just thinking about it. She was terrified of him, afraid he would hurt her, _kill _her, even. That was the thing he couldn't handle- Audrey thinking he was a monster.

But- but the _real_ Audrey didn't think he was a monster, he told himself. She loved him unconditionally. But why? He had done terrible things, and she was- she was an angel, so sweet and naïve and forgiving. Seymour hadn't done a single thing to deserve her. But still, she wanted him, and he would never understand.

Seymour examined her in the lamplight. She was still sleeping soundly next to him, completely undisturbed. Unaware of the fact that she was sleeping next to a monster… _Stop it! _he thought to himself. _Not today._ Today was going to be perfect; he was determined to make it so. The clock read 5 am. Knowing sleep was impossible, Seymour shut off the lamp and quietly got out of bed, so as not to disturb Audrey.

Audrey would be up soon enough, and they could leave the city for the day. Everything would be better after he was out of Skid Row with Audrey at his side. Audrey made everything better.

* * *

><p>Audrey awoke from a deep sleep with an uneasy feeling. Her dreams had been restless all night, all of them revolving around Seymour, though she couldn't remember any details. Whatever they were about, they had left her worried. Keeping her eyes shut against the sunlight streaming in through the curtains, Audrey moved her hands toward Seymour, only to find an empty space next to her. <em>Huh. That's strange,<em> she thought to herself. She was always awake before Seymour. Opening her eyes, Audrey nearly gasped when she saw the time. It was nearly nine. She never slept past seven!

And something was pulling at the back of her mind. She was supposed to do something today… something important. Vaguely, she recalled Seymour telling her something just as she was drifting off to sleep. Something about- about a car? Going somewhere? "Oh!" she said aloud, suddenly remembering their plans for the day. All but jumping out of the bed, Audrey wrapped her mint green silk rode around her thin frame and scurried out of the bedroom. "Seymour?" she called. Oh, she hoped she hadn't put things too behind by sleeping in!

The smell of bacon trailing down the hallway led her to the kitchen, where she found Seymour arranging and rearranging the plates on the table, completely absorbed in the task, his back to her. She giggled quietly to herself and approached him from behind. Encircling her arms around his waist, she brought her chin to rest on his shoulder. Startled, Seymour spun around, his eyes wide. "Wha-?" he started, then relaxed when he saw the playeful smile on her face.

"G'mornin', Seymour," she said. "Sorry I slept so late. I guess I was just so tired," she explained after she noticed that he was already fully dressed in a pair of slacks, complete with his usual sweater vest and bowtie. "I hope I didn't put us too behind. But breakfast smells good," she said, noticing the bacon frying on the stove.

"We're not late at all," Seymour reassured her, hastily turning back to finish rearranging the plates almost obsessively. "I just woke up earlier than usual."

Audrey paused to examine him for a moment. He seemed rather strung up about something; she just didn't know what. Gently, she laid her steady hands on top of Seymour's shaking ones. "The table's perfect, Seymour," she told him softly, stepping in front of him. Looking into his eyes, she noticed the dark circles beneath them and saw the tension in his jaw. "Ya didn't sleep very well- did you?" she asked him. His eyes flickered to the floor, but he remained silent. That was answer enough. "Nightmare," she stated. It wasn't a question. She could tell. "Do ya wanna talk about it?"

Seymour thought about it briefly. It would be nice to talk to Audrey about it; she always knew what to say. He stared into her wide, honest green eyes, gazed affectionately at her tousled blonde her, and took note of every inch of her face, still slightly puffy from sleep. She was beautiful. He knew he didn't deserve her, didn't deserve that look of concern in her eyes. He couldn't unload all of his problems on her, didn't want to be a burden. "No," he told her, "I'll be okay, Audrey. You just get dressed. I'll finish setting out your breakfast and make sure everything's ready to go."

He moved to turn away, but Audrey gently placed her hand on his arm. She'd had a right to be worried when she woke up. Seymour had been thinking too much, having nightmares, and somehow, she had sensed it even in sleep. Without thinking, she said the first words that came to her mind before she could even make sense of them: "I could neva' think you were a monster, Seymour." She didn't know what had possessed her to say it, but judging by the expression on Seymour's face, she knew it had been the right thing to say. "Do ya know why I love ya? Because you're a _good person_. Ya always have been."

Seymour shook his head. "How can you say that Audrey? I've done terrible things…"

"That's just it," she told him quickly. "Do ya think, if you were really a bad person, that ya'd feel guilty at all? But you do. I see it in your eyes all the time. And I wish I could do somethin' about it. We've all got demons in our pasts. But I'm gonna be here, no matta' what," she said, affectionately squeezing his hand in hers. Seeing that Seymour was visibly more relaxed, she smiled sweetly. "Now- I need to get ready before we lose even more time."

She was about to turn away when Seymour pulled her into his arms, kissing her gently, trying to communicate to her all the things he couldn't say. "I don't deserve you, Audrey," he told her when he pulled away, "but I love you."

She smiled up at him. "I love ya too, Seymour. And thanks for breakfast," she told him sincerely, kissing him lightly. Though she would have been content to simply sit inside with Seymour for the rest of the day, Audrey could tell how much he needed to get out of the city, if only for a day. So, she curbed her ardor for the time being and scurried off to get dressed.

* * *

><p>In twenty minutes, Audrey had managed to neatly arrange her hair in her usual bob and perfectly apply her make-up, though Seymour had tried to convince her that the make-up wasn't necessary, to no avail. Now, standing in front of her closet, Audrey was having trouble deciding what to wear. Seymour hadn't told her what, exactly, they'd be doing, just that they were going for a drive.<p>

_The black one_, she eventually decided. She knew her sleek, black dress was Seymour's favorite. She began pushing various dresses out of the way, looking for her little black one, but couldn't seem to find it. Her mouth turned down in a slight frown, and she went through the clothes again. Nothing.

Letting out a huff of frustration, she turned to her drawers, rummaging through each one in the hopes of finding the dress. _Not here, either_, she thought.

"Seymour?" she called, completely at a loss as to where it could be.

Seymour peeked his head through the doorway. "Yeah, Audrey?"

"Have you seen my black dress anywhere? I can't find it…"

Seymour's brow furrowed, trying to think. "Erm. No… haven't seen it. It's probably with the dirty laundry," he said, walking back down the hallway. "By the way," he called, "breakfast is ready."

Audrey walked back to her closet, quickly grabbing her red dress. It was flattering enough, but not like the black one. She still hadn't a clue as to what she could have done with it. It couldn't be dirty. She hadn't worn it in nearly a month… Shaking her head, Audrey made her way to the kitchen to eat breakfast with Seymour.

* * *

><p>It wasn't until ten that the couple was finally seated in the old, green '47 Cadillac that Seymour had purchased only a week before. "Ready, Audrey?" Seymour asked her.<p>

She nodded after making sure she had everything. "So, Seymour," she said excitedly, laying her hand on his arm. "Where're we goin'?"

"I just thought we'd, y'know, go for a drive. We can stop wherever you want. We've got all day." Seymour put the car in drive, and stepped on the gas pedal, ready to put the city behind them, racing toward the events that would happen today.

Audrey began chatting happily in the passenger seat about various places, and Seymour remarked about a little suburb he'd heard about, the miles of road flying beneath the wheels of the little, worn Cadillac.


	3. Chapter 3

When given the opportunity, Audrey could be quite the chatterbox. Perhaps it had a bit to do with her sunny outlook on life or the fact that she was able to find joy in the smallest of things, but for the past three and a half hours, Audrey had kept up a steady flow of conversation between she and Seymour. For most of the ride, Audrey kept the topics light and simple, pointing out different landmarks and small towns that they passed, simply enjoying her time with him. Seymour was grateful for this, as he wasn't much in the mood for talking. He had never been very good with words; somehow, he always managed to stumble over them or say them in the wrong way. So Seymour listened contentedly to Audrey's chatter, only throwing in an occasional remark here and there while his eyes scanned the road, and was happy just to watch as her face grew more and more animated as she moved from one subject to the next. Seymour found that as the hours passed and Audrey's laughter echoed throughout the car, he felt the anxiety he had about his nightmare fading away and making room for delight at the prospect of spending this day with her.

Upon approaching their fourth hour of driving, Seymour saw Audrey stretch her arms in front of her and arch her back from the corner of his eye. He could tell she was growing tired of being in the car for so long. On the side of the road, Seymour finally found what he had been looking for- a large green sign that read "Sunbury - 5 miles." He smiled to himself and turned to Audrey. "You've gotta be tired of riding by now, Audrey. How about we stop at this town comin' up and just walk around for awhile?"

Audrey's face lit up at the suggestion, excited to explore a new place and relieved to be able to get out and stretch her legs a bit. "I'd like that. Is this the place you were telling' me about earlia'?"

Seymour nodded. "That's the one. We should be there in about five minutes," he said, slightly pressing down on the gas pedal. He wanted to get to Sunbury as soon as possible; frankly, he couldn't get there fast enough.

Perfect was the only word Audrey could find to describe the quaint town of Sunbury. With its old-fashioned town square, children playing happily in the yards of their tract houses with white picket fences, and just the overall peaceful atmosphere, Sunbury was everything she had pictured a suburb to be and more.

Seymour had stopped the car at the town's small park, and Audrey insisted they walk around, her face absolutely glowing with excitement. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and Audrey found the shining sun to be utterly infectious. Everything in Sunbury seemed magnified to her- the flowers were brighter, the air fresher, the sun warming her to the core. Walking through the park, Audrey couldn't get enough of the town. High up in a tall oak tree, she heard a little bird singing its song and began to whistle along with it. "Seymour! Don't ya hear it?" she asked him, placing her hand on his arm.

Seymour laughed to himself. "Audrey," he told her, "we have birds back in the city."

"Maybe," she said, "but they just don't sing like that on Skid Row." The smile on her face was dazzling, and Seymour found himself falling even more in love with her. Throughout the walk, Seymour was carefully gauging Audrey's reactions. He had hoped Audrey would love the town as much as he did when he found it a few months ago, but her reaction was far more enthusiastic than he had dared to hope for. Still, he wasn't sure whether she was merely excited to be in a new place or that it was truly a town she would be able to call home. Seymour began to grow nervous at the thought, suddenly very aware of the small box he had nestled in his pants pocket.

"Seymour, it's really so beautiful here," Audrey said, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "Everything is so _perfect_. The smells and sounds, the warmth. I bet there's neva' a day when it rains here." She sighed wistfully. "Now that ya've taken me here, I don't think I can leave," she said, then chuckled quietly to herself.

That was all the affirmation Seymour needed. Seymour give Audrey a small smile and took her hand in his. "How about we head over to that neighborhood across the street, Audrey? Then we'll find a place to eat lunch, if ya want."

Audrey gave him a radiant smile. "That sounds wondaful."

Audrey and Seymour found themselves at the intersection of Magnolia and West Elm. From this view, Audrey could see all the tract houses lined up together, each looking exactly the same as the next- clean-cut, bright, perfect- each one a beacon of hope. The sight was overwhelming, and though she tried her best to keep the sunny smile on her face, tears filled Audrey's eyes. The houses were all so beautiful, perfectly made and aligned. Children grew up in these houses, learned to crawl, talk, play, discover. Wives made suppers for their hardworking husbands and hosted Tupperware parties for their dear friends. Mothers wiped tears when their children scraped their knees playing ball in the driveway. Families made memories here, memories that Audrey feared she would never have. Her heart constricted at the thought. It was torture, knowing that the life she dreamed of was merely feet in front of her, yet she was not a part of it. The tears were welling in her eyes of their own accord, and slowly began to start down her face. She quickly wiped them away, scolding herself for being so foolish and hoping that Seymour didn't notice. But, of course, ever attentive to Audrey and her emotions, Seymour, wide-eyed and stammering, took her hands in his. "Audrey, please don't cry. I didn't mean for you to cry. I- I thought you'd like it here. I'm so sorry, Audrey. I just- I thought… I'm sorry."

Audrey was shaking her head vigorously, wiping her eyes with the backs of her hand. "No, Seymour! I'm sorry. I shouldn't have… It's just… It's so beautiful here, Seymour. So beautiful. I'm so happy ya brought me here, honest. I just… I keep picturin' myself here. But I know I can't. Because I'm not that kinda girl. But still," she said, with a small smile, "it's nice to dream."

Seymour quickly pulled her into his arms. "Audrey… you deserve this and so much more. I've told you that a million times and I'll tell you a million more. You deserve so much, Audrey. And I'm doing my best to give you everything. I just want… I want you to be happy."

"Oh, no, Seymour. I didn't mean… I don't want ya to think I need all 'a that to be happy. You make me happy, Seymour. You really do. You're all that I need. I really do mean that. I was just being silly," she told him, giving him a lovely smile. "So what if we live in Skid Row? I don't mind so long as you're with me."

Seymour's heart swelled in his chest. This beautiful, perfect angel standing in front of him loved him, despite his past, his faults and failings. For the first time, Seymour realized that Audrey needed him as much as he needed her. "Audrey," he said quietly, "what if I told you that we didn't have to live on Skid Row any more?"

She shook her head slowly. "I don't understand what ya mean, Seymour…"

"Close your eyes," he told her. Audrey willingly obliged, confusion evident on her face, and Seymour turned her to face the opposite direction and placed a small object in her hand. "Okay, Audrey. Open." She looked straight ahead to see a quaint, white tract house with green shutters. It had a realtor sign in the front yard that Audrey had overlooked at her first glance. Covering the sign was a giant sticker, declaring the single word SOLD. Her eyes flickered down to the item Seymour placed in her hand. A small, silver key glittered in her open palm. Her eyes were wide as she started to turn back to him. "Seymour… what're you-?"

She stopped. Behind her, Seymour was down on one knee, the tiny black box opened in his hand to reveal a delicate, shimmering ring. "Audrey," he said, trying to remember the words he had rehearsed over and over again, "I know that things in your life haven't gone as you'd planned… I know things have been hard… and rough… and downright awful at times… But I wanna take care of you, Audrey. I don't want you to have to be scared of those things any more. I don't want you to ever have to face a dark day on Skid Row ever again. So… Audrey… if you'll have me… I wanna marry you- for real this time. And I wanna live right here with you, for the rest of our lives. And I promise, as long as we have each other, you'll never have a dark day again." Seymour held his breath as he waited for her answer, but Audrey continued to stare at him, her eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. "So…" he said, clearing his throat nervously, "whaddaya sa-"

His words were cut short by a cry of delight as Audrey nearly tackled him on the street. Laughing, Seymour managed to regain his balance and coax both of them to a standing position, Audrey's arms still tightly circling his neck. Audrey was laughing, tears escaping from the corners of her eyes, and she was kissing his neck and cheeks- anywhere she could reach- repeatedly. "Yes, Seymour, yes! A million times yes! Of course I'll marry ya!" Seymour's heart swelled with joy hearing those words. He felt like parading up and down their new neighborhood, screaming to all of Sunbury that he was going to marry the most beautiful woman on the planet. However, he realized their neighbors might not take too kindly to the disturbance and opted for simply bringing his lips to hers instead. He kissed her joyously, feeling her smile against his lips. There was nothing rushed about this moment; the two created a picturesque scene, embracing one another, Audrey's arms encircled around Seymour's neck, his arms around her tiny waist, the open box still in his right hand, and their new tract house, gleaming a pristine white on the street. Seymour was certain there wasn't a more beautiful sight anywhere on the planet.

Seymour pulled away from her embrace and pulled the diamond out of the black box. Audrey stretched out her left hand to him, tears in her eyes as he reverently slid it onto her ring finger- a perfect fit. The two stood there for a moment, admiring the way the diamond glittered in the afternoon sunlight.

Audrey's eyes switched to the tract house, and she sighed in delight. "Seymour, now that I know it's ours, I don't think I can leave!"

He smiled sheepishly back at her. "Well, I was hoping you might say that. I, uh, actually packed a bag with some our things. So we can stay here for a night or two. If ya want, I mean."

"Ya sneak!" she said, laughing. Then her eyes lit up in sudden recognition. "Is that where my black dress went?!" Seymour merely grinned back at her, obviously proud of the plan he had devised, and Audrey playfully swatted his arm. "Well, then, since we'll be staying here for a bit, how about ya show me around?" The two walked up the drive to the front door, where Audrey turned the key in the lock and opened the front door for the first time. Before she could step in, however, she had the sudden sensation of being swept off her feet. Seymour had scooped her up in his arms, cradling her, and looked down at her with a grin.

"Very impressive," Audrey said, giggling.

Seymour merely smiled and kissed her forehead. "Welcome home, Audrey," he said tenderly, stepping over the threshold of their new home with the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with in his arms.


End file.
